Ariel screwed me over
by robstar591
Summary: Kory Anders has a bone to pick with Ariel. Burned too many times by ex-boyfriends, Kory has lost all belief in the happily-ever-after that the fairy tale princesses promised her. She's sworn off love, prince charmings, and happy endings and she's happy about it. really. Or at least she was... Until she met Richard. Please read and review. Won't update til at least 5 reviews
1. the liar?

Chapter one

Ariel screwed me over. But really, she isn't the one with all the blame. Jasmine, Cinderella, belle, snow white, sleeping beauty and all the other princesses are there also. The idea of having a happily ever finding the one guy that loves you unconditionally, your prince charming.

If you watch the childhood movie the little mermaid, you'd see what I mean. The prince is charming, charismatic, and lazy. Seriously Eric you say you love the girl Ariel and when you see her again, you don't think is her because she can't talk because of Ursula taking her voice to become a human.

So, you took her in, gave her a place to stay, and was about to give up until ursula came into the picture as vanessa or what ever she called herself and used Ariel's voice and brainwashed you. Did you really not notice the hair color difference.

When you get older, you realize that all the fairytales are nothing but bullshit. They say just because you find a your prince charming, you'll live happily ever after. Let me be the one to tell you that it does not happen. I learned that at a very young age. That's why I am 16 and still single, even though all guys I meet tell me I should be a super model with my looks. When you've been through what I've been through, you'd understand why I gave up on life not too long ago.

If I had a theme song... It would probably be either I'm not going to write you a love song or miss independent. It's totally true.

I was at my favorite restaurant that I eat at every Friday night, the chopped chicken, waiting for my best friend, Rachel Roth. When she finally got here she was on her phone. My guess it was her fiancée. I walked up to the hostess and told her "party for two for Kory Anders." She looked on her list and went to get another hostess. Must've been her time to get off.

I looked over to Rach, who was still blabbering away on her new iPhone 5s that her fiancée got her for a pre-engagement gift. Gosh what could they be talking about. Was she going to stay on the phone all night? She then holds a finger up at me. Yea since when has she ever needed just one minute.

"hi kory" one of the waiters said as I passed him on the way to our table. "How are you this evening?" he asked.

"I would be better if my friend would get off her phone and realize she's here to be with me." I tell him, pointing behind me at my friend. Rachel stuck her tongue out at me. " okay honey, I've got to go I'll see you at home" pause. "I don't know a few hours maybe" pause "Love you too." she pushed the end button and put her phone away in her new expensive bag, another present from her fiancée. She looked at me "I'm all yours."

Rach and I followed our hostess through yellow. The place was a mixture of espresso-colored wood, white, and gold. Miniature lamps filled lit the tables, casting a soft goldish glow. Gold was my favorite restaurant in Jump City. My favorite restaurant anywhere actually.

The fact that it was five minutes from my apartment and about ten from animal Haven, the home for abandoned and stray animals, where I worked as practically anything they needed, made it even better.

As soon as Rachel and I were settled into a table in the corner, she picked up her menu. "So what are we celebrating again?" She asked.

I took the white cloth napkin off the table and placed it on my lap. "It's been a year since I've had my heart broken. No more relapses."

"Oh, that's right" Rachel shook her head. " You're celebrating you're jaded stance on men."

"I prefer the term realistic."

"so there's no love in the world?" she asked me.

"except for you and Garfield."

"oh so there is an exception... Yay all hope in humanity is restored." she said sarcastically, leaning back in her chair and shot her arms up and behind her.

"But I'm serious Rach, there's no puzzle pieces, no you complete me, or your the woman of my dreams guy out there, and the beauty of this day and age, I don't need one."

"So why are you dressed like that " – she waved a hand at me – "if you don't have anyone to impress?"

My purple dress hugged in all the right places and showed off my legs. "One, because I run my butt off so I can pull it off. And two what am I supposed to do? Look like a slob because I don't think relationships don't last forever? I'm not itching to run off and become a nun or anything."

"yeah you'd be a great nun."

Carl walked up to us and shot me a huge toothy grin. "Kory, hey."

I returned the smile "if it isn't my favorite waiter. How are you today?"

"Good we're kinda slammed right now, so its crazy. But good." he lifted his pad of paper. " What can I get for you ladies?"

I didn't even bother with the menu anymore. I rattled off my order, then waited as Rachel placed hers.

Rach watched Carl walk away. "What about him? He's super cute and you two seem to have a vibe."

"We don't have a vibe. We have a I-come-here-all-the-time-we-say-hi thing. Besides, he's way too young, not to mention I have a strict policy against dating people I run into all the time. No guy's worth losing my favorite place to eat."

Rach rolled her eyes at me. "You're completely hopeless."

"No you're the hopeless romantic. They call it that for a reason, you know"

Rach's phone rang and she hovered her finger over the end button. "Gar's probably calling to tell me what his mom said about the flowers. I'll just be one minute"

"I knew you'd never make it." I dug through my purse until I found the envelope I was looking for. "I'll be right back" I whispered.

Making my way toward the back of the restaurant, I took in all the different kinds of people out on a Saturday night. One couple sat, smiling at each other but not saying anything, neither one eating much of his or her food.

_On a date. Probably first or second._

The next table over, a woman in her late thirties to early forties had her arms folded across her chest, a scowl on her face. The guy across from her leaned in, looking frustrated and confused, saying "I'm sorry okay

_Married and not speaking– well shes not speaking._

The kitchen would be a madhouse tonight, so I didn't bother heading in that direction. Brent, the head chef and owner, had done me a huge favor last week, making a special plate for one of my patients. The list of items she couldn't have had been lengthy, but he'd managed to pull it off. I'd written a thank you note and I placed it in his suggestion box outside of his office.

As I walked back to my table, I felt my heel get caught in the floor before it came off my foot making me almost fall.

"whoa" I muttered as I recovered from my almost-fall

I turned around in search of my shoe and saw a guy end over to retrieve it.

"I think you lost this." he said, tugging it loose from the crack in the floor.

"Yeah, it's kinda stuck in there and... Let's just say it wasn't my smoothest move."

He stood up, a big smile on his face. His very handsome face. His bright sky blue eyes, killer smile, and short dark hair made it hard to look away. So I didn't bother trying.

"Well..." he held up my black stiletto out to me. " Here you go."

_oh that's right. I'm standing in the middle of a crowded restaurant, one foot four inches higher than the_ other.

"thanks." I said as I took the shoe. Balancing on my other foot, I bent my leg and attempted to slide the shoe on. Stepping into this shoe was not an option. They took a little extra work– a finger on the back– to wedge in the heel.

He reached out and put a hand on my hip to steady me. It sent my heart racing, which just goes to show you how long it had been since my last physical contact with a guy.

The shoe finally slipped into place and I put my foot down. When he didn't move his hand, I glanced at it, then back up at him.

"I didn't want you to fall." he said, one corner of his mouth lifting.

A deep stirring I haven't felt in a long time burned through my core. " I wouldn't fall."

"you see why I would worry since you tripped just a minute ago."

Between the grin he was flashing me and the heat radiations from his hand, my pulse was having trouble staying steady. I smiled back, pulling the flirty smile that was,rusty from the lack of use. "I suppose I do have that against me. Although I choose to blame the faulty flooring and not my coordination."

He took his hand off my hip and held it out to me. "I'm Richard."

I placed my small hand in his rather large one. "kory. Do you come here often?"

He laughed. " I haven't been here for a while, but I am one of the managers here."

Red alert. Liar.. No "I actually happen to know the manager, and you are not him." I then walk away.

_It's a shame he's a liar, otherwise I would've been tempted. _

I went back to my table and told Rach about Richard. And of course she striped to defend him.

The last time I dated a liar, let's just say he was not divorced.

* * *

Ok that was my first chapter. Disclaimer... I do not own teen Titans, the plot, I just wanted this in a teen Titan version. If you want to read the real thing, read Cinderella screwed me over. By Cindi Madsen.


	2. attention

Ok some mistakes I found as I read this myself... I'm sorry for the confusion...

The restaurant is called yellow

Kory is 28

If there is something else that doesn't look right or confuses you please let me know by pm or in a review. Thank you and sorry again for the confusion.


	3. the blind date

Karen, my partner a work, insisted we go to lunch at yellow to get away from the office–our boss, Jennifer Hex, was on some kind of warpath today, and it was best to steer clear when she was looking for someone to blame. After what happened Saturday evening, I'd been planning on staying away for awhile. Even though Richard didn't own the place, he might actually work there, and I didn't want to have an awkward run-in with him. Especially since I couldn't stop thinking about his handsome face, his smile, and the way my heart jumped into my throat when he put his hand on my hip.

"Hey Kory, hey Karen." Mindy said when we walked in. "Just you two today? Or do you have patients joining you?" *p.s pet heaven is also a vet, and they call the owners of the pets they take care of patients. On with the story*

"Just us." Karen said.

Mindy ushered us to a table and left so we could look over the menu.

Karen lifted her menu and studied it, even though we both knew she'd end up getting the chicken salad. I lifted mine too, simply for something to look at, when deep male voices caught my attention, and I glanced in their direction. Richard and Carl stood near the back, discussing something. I threw my menu up, not wanting Richard to see me.

~ Okay so he does work here.~ He wasn't wearing the normal waiter attire, either. ~ Hmmm, guess I'll see what I can find out from Mindy~

"So, what do you think is going on with Mrs. Crabtree's little clairvoyance?" Karen asked. "Do you think it's serious, or do you think it's small?"

I peeked around my menu –~no sign of Richard~– then lowered it. "You know that she can't resist feeding that dog table scraps. I think it's just pancreatitis. This happens every two months. But hey, that just means more money for us. But we do give her a pretty good discount."

"Hello, are you ladies...?" Richard trailed off when his gaze lit on me. "Kory. Hi."

I was impressed he remembered my name. Most people could only remember it was unusual. Even without his hand on my hip, my body reacted to him, my pulse quickening and my stomach churning with a mixture of nerves and attraction. "Hi Richard."

He rubbed his fingers across his jaw– such a simple motion,must it drew my attention to his handsome features. He was the exact type of guy I used to lose my mind over. "I didn't expect... Well, you did imply you come here a lot," he said.

"And I wasn't lying." Yes, I needed to remember the lying part and ignore how hot the guy was. I gestures to Karen. "This is Karen. Karen, Richard. Karen and I work together. And we do end up eating here and bringing patients in a lot."

"Hi," Karen said with a giant grin. "Kory, I know him, he's good friends with Victor."

"So you can tell me what he really does. Cause the other night he lied to me saying that he owns this place." I said crossing my arms.

Richard and Karen looked at each other. Karen placed her hand on my forearm, "Star, he does work here, he was gone for a while. I'll tell you about it in a while, if thats ok with you Rich?"

"Thats fine as long as she knows the truth." he said walking off.

"What the hell Kare?!" I asked. She put her fingers to her lips. "He had to go to Gotham for a while, for his brother's funeral. He's lost almost everyone in his life. You should really apologize."

My eyes widened. "Oh gosh! He must hate me... Not that I care, but I don't like to be hated." Tears were flooding my eyes.

"Kory, calm down. He doesn't hate you. He is a very understanding guy. You two would be the best couple."

As if my day hadn't been bad enough, I had a date tonight. Unless you were actually in an actual relationship with someone, a Monday night date is basically a throwaway. It's like, hey,if you suck, at least I didn't waste a good day of the week on you; if you're actually normal, we can always make a plan for the weekend.

The date was set up by none other than my adopted mother. Apparently her friend had a son who had recently moved to the city and 'needed to be shown around'. Yeah, there's internet now. Most people in this country have a GPS device of some kind. They don't need to be shown around. And if they're too stupid to read a map or do a little exploring on their own, why would I want to be trapped anywhere with them.

But I digress.

No, my boyfriends were't all that bad. Until they suddenly were. There's that moment when you look at your significant other and think, _Did I ever like you? I'm sure I did. But why? _And right then, you know it's not going to last. It's sad, but true, and the end result is always the same : the end of the relationship and heartbreak.

So while I had my doubts about this date, I knew it'd make Sherry happy. If I could have at least one decent conversation with the guy, I'd consider it a win. After all, I'd sworn off all relationships, not going out altogether, and if I didn't start meeting new people, I'd have no one to hang out with when Rachael was a busy wife with other obligations.

My date, who's name was Chad, buzzed in to tell me he was here. I loved that feature with my building. It made drop-bys from guys I never wanted to see again a thing of the past. The building also had a pool, large hot tub, and a fitness room.

I grabbed my purse off the counter, locked up, and took the elevator down to the lobby, where Chad was waiting for me.

"Kory?" a guy said as I stepped off the elevator. He was in his mid thirties, had a lot of love in his gut area, and was wearing a sweater vest. A bit on the nerdy side for my tastes, but this was for Sherry.

"That's me," I said "You must be Chad."

He extended his hand. "Yep. Nice to meet you."

I took it and we shook - weak and a bit clammy. _He's defiantly no Richard. _

I quickly tried to shut that thought down. Not only was it an unfair comparison, but I shouldn't be thinking about him right now. Not that flutter of attraction, or his nice jawline and firm handshake.

A sinking sensation went through my gut. I'd already blown any chance of even being friends with the guy. _I can't believe I called him a liar._ I always insisted guys were the jerks, but I'd win, hands down, when it came to the guy who actually did own Yellow.

I realized I was still holding Chad's hand, even though we weren't shaking anymore, and quickly dropped it before he could get the wrong idea.

A short while later, we reached his car. "So, it's a little embarrassing to be set up by your mom," Chad said as he fired up the engine. " But it's nice to meet someone. So far, I just work and go home."

"That's about all I do," I said. "My best friend is getting married, so she's busy with all this wedding stuff and I'm left to hang out by myself."

He glanced at me, that nervous OMG-she-just-said-marriage look on his face. Guys freak out about that. Like if your friend is getting married you must be desperate to do it, too.

"I've been kind of thrown into helping her plan, even though it's not my thing," I said, trying to smooth it over. "I'm not big on marriage in general."

Now he looked even more disturbed, the creases in his forehead deepening.

_Just keep talking, Kory. _So much for thinking we could have a decent conversation. Maybe I really was destined to spend most of my nights alone.

The next few minutes were filled with nothing but the jazz music coming from his stereo.

Finally, we got to the restaurant. At least inside, the buzz of conversation and people eating made the silence between us less awkward. As we sat down and started talking, one thing was clear: we didn't have a whole lot to talk about. Even though our moms weren't here, it was like they were on the date with us.

"I heard your mom makes the best, what is it? Borkaberry pie?" Chad said a few minutes after we got our food. I give a little chuckle. _Most people have some trouble with that word. _ "It's actually Zorkaberry, and she makes the second best. I'm the cook of our family. And your mom makes the best peach jam?"

A nod from him. More eating. Another comment about what he'd heard about my mom.

Toward the end of dinner, the conversation steered to his job. He _loved _talking about his job managing a store that sold tvs and tv remotes. To hear him tell it, he was the most important thing that had happened to the store. He prattled on about shipments, sales, and a slew of other things I couldn't care less about, but tried to pay attention to anyway.

"I have to admit," I said when he finished a lengthy discussion on the difference on hd and standard definition, "I've never cared that much about television, it just gets in the way of what needs to be done."

Chad's mouth dropped open. "Television is the greatest thing to happen to this miserable world. If there were no television, or I lose my job, I'd kill myself." He frowned, "I think you'd enjoy television if you just give it a chance."

Obviously he didn't think my jokes were funny - it wasn't the first time I'd said the wrong thing, and I doubted it would be the last. At least I knew to not add anymore to the television conversation. I needed someone I could at least joke with, though, or there was no point in putting effort into going out. _Sorry mother, but it looks like it's not going to be a love match. _

Chad tossed his napkin onto his plate and pulled out one of those floss things out of his pocket - the plastic, Y-shaped things you thread floss through. I watched in horror as he proceeded to take care of business.

So I ask you, what's worse? A little something between the teeth or flossing at the table? I'm casting my vote for the table. If you must use the floss that's been in your pocket gathering lint, take it to the bathroom and go to town. Because digging meat out of your teeth is just something I don't want to see.

"Shall we go, then?" he asked a teeth cleaning later.

I couldn't get out of there fast enough.

The ride home was filled with the talk of television and instrumental music. Being around this guy made me feel tired and boring and blah. When we pulled up to my building, I fought the urge to make a run for it. "Thanks for dinner."

"So…" He leaned toward me.

_No way he expects a kiss._

_On the bright side, at least I know his teeth have been flossed recently._

"I've got a big surgery to perform first thing tomorrow morning, so good night." I grabbed the door handle and exited the car. I purposely didn't use the 'see you later' line, because I was hoping there wouldn't be a later. I'd had more than enough.


End file.
